In New York state and city, drivers are rarely charged criminally if they kill another person in a crash, according to data compiled by the state and analyzed by The Wall Street Journal. That is because New York's vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter statutes apply only to motorists who are drunk or on drugs—one of the narrowest standards for conviction in the nation, legal experts said.

So basically, New York is to shitty driving what Florida is to shooting people.

Actually, I don't wonder how how they managed to sneak it past her at all. Just turn on some "Larry King Live" reruns and Rabinowitz lapses into an erotic reverie that couldn't be interrupted by a Mack truck. Done.

He probably doesn't feel too bad about it either--or at least this cabbie who killed a five year-old boy doesn't:

Gul told The Post on Saturday...that he doesn’t feel bad about the accident. “Actually, no, I’m not too much sad. Actually, I’m not this fault happen [sic],” he said.Gul, who said he was back behind the wheel of his cab just two days later, has an active license and splits use of his cab with two other drivers.

I realize these are the sorts of awful articles that ruin your day, especially on a Monday, though hopefully the fact that the media is actually paying attention to this now is an indication that some sort of change is afoot--though I suspect that, come the spring, they'll be back to baiting cyclists again.

The inventors have actually sent me one of these to try out, and once I set it up I'll share my experiences, though I hope I don't have the opportunity to to truly "test" it, if you know what I mean. Up until now I've never ridden with a camera attached to my bicycle, partially because I hate futzing with electronics while I'm riding, and partially because it depresses me that this is our only meager defense against shitty drivers, but the sad fact is that it's probably not a bad idea to arm yourself with one of these so I'll play around with this thing and see what happens.

In the meantime, the winter here has been relentless, and I've already burned most of what I own for heat and eaten my way through most of the household pets. (The cat was surprisingly delicious, especially with a side of the goldfish.) As far as recreational bicycling goes, ordinarily you can mitigate the cold somewhat by riding on trails that are protected from the wind, but for the fat bike-less among us they are more or less off the table thanks to all the snow:

(I bore right.)

Therefore I have been sticking with the roads, and while I'd rather be knocking around in the forests of suburbia when it's 20 degrees American at least they clear the roads here--unlike Portland, where I've learned they only plow main arterials, and where they don't salt due to groundwater contamination and environmental concerns.

(Fuck 'em, I say. Just kidding. I love all animals, especially on bagels.)

I may kid the Portlanders about freaking out over the snow, but the fact is there's not much point riding when the streets are completely iced over, so I don't blame them for staying in their homes and doing beard maintenance until the thaw. You're pretty much guaranteed to fall on your bike when it's really icy out, and an hour or two of turning the pedals and some Twitter bragging rights isn't worth waiting months for a bone to knit. Sure, you can buy studded tires, but why do that when you live in Portland? You'll use them about as often as you'll use a bikini in Riadh. (Or in Portland for that matter.) Really, you're probably better off going running:

(Via a reader.)

Or maybe you're not.

Or, take a short break from riding and engage in other seasonally appropriate forms of recreation, such as sledding--but be careful:

The man was not wearing a helmet. Portland Fire recommended that sledders wear helmets to protect themselves.

There is nothing funny about head injuries and I hope he's OK, but it is extremely depressing that you can't even have a sledding accident without the media reporting on your helment status.

In ten years all Americans will wear helments with 360-degree cameras at all times no matter what activity we're engaged in, I guarantee it.

By the way, where are all the fixie riders talking about how much control their drivetrain gives them in poor conditions? They can't all have defected to cyclocross bikes, have they?

Up until now you've apparently been too busy playing around with your combination brakelight/video camera to look in to the concept of breaking run on sentences into separate thoughts using actual punctuation.

no surprise at all that these murderers are back behind the wheel with the political power that the TLC have in this city. I live a block away from 97 and west end where the 9 year old was killed by Komeni who ran him over while he and his dad were crossing the street with the light. The only way that guy doesn't see them as he makes a left turn directly into them is if he is not looking at all, which of course they can't prove so he gets a failure to yeild the right of way. so the value of a Child's life here in NYC is apparently $300. Where the fuck is mr Vision Zero diblasio during all of this? one answer has been to crack down on jay walkers (not drivers) and another has been to change the walk/don't walk lights on 97th and 98th streets to read both when the pedestrian has the light. I'm totally serious, so i guess the message is cross at your own risk? Fucking insane.

I was watching the biathlon event during the Olympics yesterday, when it dawned on me that if bikers carried biathlon rifles while riding, folks may think twice before running into us.Picture a cross-country skier and what do you think? Vermont, mulled wine, James Taylor....Now picture a cross-country skier with a rifle as a back pack.Bad Ass. Just sayin'.

The problem with that hidden camera in the bike light is it is hidden. Being a complete dork I have been dicking around with various bike/hellmeat mounted cameras for about 10 years. (The first had a cable that had to be connected to a cam-corder in my backpack - weight weenies need not apply - but I, too, bore).

The little ones with SD cards they sell now are so light and easy. And when cabbies see them they become very polite.

The trick is to not hide them - the cagers need to see the glaring red eye and know they are being recorded.

Laugh all you want...but the helmetless Nestle plundge jogger is actually a New Yorker. No self respecting Portlander would agree to an interview for channel 2....Please...

Though with here being a New Yorker perhaps she was actually making a get away dive. There might have been a cab somewhere just off camera.

Though we're starting to phase out of the beard trend, and instead I'm were doing the Rogane art else where on the body. Got the "Wildcat Rock Machine" stenzed on my ass right now. Gotta wear a helmet while it sets for the head stands - cause sitting smears the work.

The Fly6 looks like a cool product. Unfortunately being hit from behind is one of the lowest percentage types of bike car crashes (according to the information I have read). Turning oneself into Lucas Brunelle is a poor option. I applaud the designers of the Fly6 and would consider investing in the future in a tiny camera(much smaller than a GoPro) that will keep track of the front and sides of the bike as I ride (perhaps the Fly 7?).

I can vouch for the Muvi cameras (available at Amazon among a million other places on the web). I have one attached to the seatpost, and the other discreetly mounted inside a healment vent (causing no discomfort whatsoever). Not up to GoPro standards, but the quality is definitely good enough for vehicle ID.

You can buy a version of the camera that will transmit a signal to a server that will instantly stream the vid out onto the Al Gore invention. I've hidden one in the bag Babs takes to Wreck Beach, so next summer tune into babswreckbeach.com

Concerning the first photo's caption, the three year old was "...struck by a sport utility vehicle," as if the loose nut at the wheel had no control over it?

When people keep hearing phrases like that, they subconsciously assume the vehicle was somehow at fault. How you killed a three year old doesn't matter. The poor kid was killed by a driver not in control of his or her vehicle. An SUV just happened to be the weapon of choice. Media (including sympathetic bloggers) please take note. Put the blame where it belongs, loud and clear.

In Merka, the easiest way to get away with murder is to give someone a bike, wait until they go for a ride and then run over their sorry ass. Don't worry, you'll still make your kid's violin recital because there was "no criminality suspected," of course.

Anon@510 If the mafia gave u a contract to rub out someone you'd be crazy to use a gun, knife, etc. Just wait until the target is walking down the street, doesn't even have to be at an intersection, middle of the block is fine, and run the sucker over. Tell the donut eaters the car went out of control by itself, police will say "move on, move on, nothing to see here. Go about your business." One exception, if the target is a celeb, don't take the contract. The police actually investigate those cases.

"I do not have a substance abuse problem,” ..... “Did I experiment with drugs? Yes I have. Why did I lie? I think everybody in the world has lied. Because I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to tell the truth.

“I’m not a drug addict. I don’t use drugs. Have I in the past? Yes. When they ask me, it’s very, very humiliating in front of the world to say ‘yes,’ and everybody’s lied, so maybe people can tell me, why do you lie? People either lie to cover up, people lie because they’re embarrassed, and that’s why I lied.”

Watching the Stoli Olympics, the US Women's Hockey Team is scoring like crazy now that they've been rescued from a bathroom door that wouldn't open. The team has taken an oath not to use an indoor bathroom for the rest of the games.

There is even some speculation that concealed carry may be legal on a bike.

I and a friend have both been subjected to attempted bike-jackings. Both failed. My friend used a can of pepper spray. I sprinted away through heavy traffic, because the boys in the hoods lost the element of surprise.

Only rode once last week because of jubilant predictions of many inches of snow. What happened was we got four inches one morning, which had melted off the pavement by afternoon. I stayed off the bike for next few days because the weather talkers kept promising more snow each night for a week. I didn't happen.

That's what happens when you rely on the weathermen instead of just riding to current conditions.

I swear I heard the excitable announcer exclaim during the men's x-cuntry skiing ...opened up his suitcase full of courage... Then when back to sleep. You are issued both a concealed carry permit and a birth certificate here in the Heart of Dixie. You can assume everybody is packin'. It's considered a social faux pas if you aren't. And that's male, female, transgendered, and neutral.

My snow bike is equipped with a shitty flip flop hub. When the freewheel shot craps, I went fixed. Along with studded snow tires, this makes a horrible combo. I have no idea how much stronger I'd have to be to make that thing skid on dry pavement, but I'm nowhere near it. No brakes would be a deathwish.

Cleaveland... awesome. Good for you for getting back on the old horse again, and so quickly, too.

speaking of horses... mr Hung Lo - I know exactly who you are, and that's ok. I am familiar enough with it that I don't need a picture, though I could do with a more tactile experience in the very near future.

And dancesonpedals? There's a starburst on that one only because I've already done the ol' nip shot and redundancy is so dull.

Its been my experience that nipples of that longish variety are synced up directly to the vaginal juice maker. You want to tweak until you get a nice squooshing sound then back off. Then tweak and tune as needed.

Thank you. Yes, happy is my normal. I've noticed that if you look for reasons to be angry, or offended, you will find them, and if you look for reasons to be appreciative and happy, you will find those, too.

What's that saying? When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

And NOW I am looking for a good route to ride on my daily grind... TTYL!

Well, it is sad to know that car drivers and bikers are killing people just because they are not driving safe. I have seen many people parking unsafe that's why many accidents also take place. Therefore, when it comes to airport parking I always go with parking Gatwick

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Vehicular homicide and manslaughter statues should not only be applied on on drunk and on-drugs drivers, others free of drug and drink must also be convicted of killing a human being. gatwick chauffeur parking

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About Me

While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!